Sage of Humanity

Half a day later, at the peak of Cangming Mountain, the bell tolled nine times, and the mountain gates swung wide open. Led by Sect Master Meng Dancheng of Cangming Mountain, a procession of Cangming Mountain's elders, protectors, and officers stood neatly on both sides, waiting respectfully.

When the sect master appeared with a woman named Shui Yuan, everyone promptly performed salutations.

Without any dilly-dallying, Meng Dancheng got straight to the point, "Veteran Thang, everything is ready. Please, this way!"

The sect master, with a complex expression, nodded, "You all have worked hard."

Meng Dancheng shook his head with a smile, "Cangming Mountain has been waiting for this day."

Moments later, as the Heaven's Augury stirred, the sect masters of both great sects forged the Alliance Sect Pact under the witness of Heaven's Augury. Despite Cangming Mountain's efforts to contain this news, under the watchful eyes of those with vested interests, the message still uncontrollably spread outward.

In a concealed area of the Spirit Stream battlefield, Lu Ye was sitting cross-legged, consuming pills to recover, while Amber lay beside him, its blood-stained belly rapidly rising and falling. Despite the exhaustion, it ate the beast meat voraciously, knowing only by being well-fed could it find the energy to flee.

Not having taken much time to rest, Lu Ye soon mounted Amber and continued on his way.

But they hadn't gone far when a fleeing light circling in mid-air suddenly swooped down. Without getting too close, the figure revealed their battlefield marking to Lu Ye—it was a Haotian Alliance cultivator.

"Get on!" The man parked his Flying Spirit Artifact in front of Lu Ye, who hesitated slightly.

Since parting ways with Lann Yudie, he had been helped by several Haotian Alliance cultivators along the way; otherwise, with just his current cultivation level, he would never have made it this far.

However, those cultivators who came to his assistance couldn't accompany him for long. Along the way, they would encounter obstructions and interceptions from the Ten Thousand Demons Ridge side. At those moments, those people would have to go face the enemy, and Lu Ye would once again set out alone.

Previously, a Level 9 cultivator had lifted him for a stretch on a Flying Spirit Artifact. It had indeed been fast, but it didn't get very far before people from Ten Thousand Demons Ridge spotted them, nearly knocking them out of the sky.

If they had truly fallen from such a height, the man might have survived, but neither Lu Ye nor Amber would have made it.

So hearing that he was being asked to board now, Lu Ye had some psychological shadows. Although traveling by Flying Spirit Artifact was indeed fast, it also made him an obvious target, and more susceptible to being ambushed. Explore more adventures at empire

However, he had no other choice at the moment but to steel himself and, along with Amber, step onto the other's Flying Spirit Artifact.

The man pinched a magic spell and shouted low, "Rise!"

The Flying Spirit Artifact, shaped like a small boat, lifted off into the air. The man was clever—flying not too high, so that even if they were struck, there wouldn't be any danger to their lives.

While vigilantly watching all around, he spoke hastily to Lu Ye, "Righteous Blood Sect has now forged an Alliance Sect Pact with Cangming Mountain, so there's no need for you to head to Righteous Blood Sect's camp anymore. As long as you can make it to Cangming Mountain's camp, you'll be safe."

"Cangming Mountain?"

"Cangming Mountain!"

Lu Ye quickly took out the ten-part map and searched. He did not know what the Alliance Sect Pact was, but from the information disclosed in the other party's words, it seemed to be the key to his escape.

He found the location of Cangming Mountain's camp soon enough—it was a 7th grade sect located at the boundary between the outer and inner circles. Although not too far from his current location, it certainly wasn't close either.

But it was much closer than traveling to the Righteous Blood Sect's camp.

He immediately understood that it must be the result of the sect master's efforts; otherwise, Righteous Blood Sect would have no reason to form an Alliance Sect Pact with Cangming Mountain at such a critical moment.

"Several forces of Ten Thousand Demons Ridge surrounding Cangming Mountain have already declared war on it. Remember, the closer you get to Cangming Mountain, the more dangerous it becomes. Do not let your guard down on your way there!"

"Understood!" Lu Ye nodded heavily, turned his head back, and saw that cultivators from Ten Thousand Demons Ridge had discovered him, setting off in pursuit with fleeing lights. However, there were also Haotian Alliance members intercepting them.

"There's no escape. Head in the direction of Cangming Mountain, there will be someone up ahead to meet you." With those words, the man descended his fleeing light and, after Lu Ye and Amber jumped off, he immediately turned around to confront the approaching Ten Thousand Demons Ridge cultivators. In an instant, the two fleeing lights collided, and spirit force buzzed fiercely.

Lu Ye didn't look back. Such clashes between cultivators of that level were not something he could help with. Riding on Amber, he headed at full speed toward Cangming Mountain.

The Spirit Stream battlefield became even livelier.

The news of Righteous Blood Sect and Cangming Mountain forging an Alliance Sect Pact had spread, with the purpose being self-evident. This turned Cangming Mountain into the focal point of the struggle between the two major factions. From all directions, countless cultivators from both factions converged toward it, with the area for a thousand miles around Cangming Mountain in complete disarray.

Despite the fact that Cangming Mountain had already recalled all its disciples, the successive declarations of war from the nearby sects still left them without the capability to strike back.

Now, many disciples of Cangming Mountain were forced to huddle within their sect's protective array. Despite this, they had no peace; numerous cultivators from Ten Thousand Demons Ridge gathered outside Cangming Mountain, incessantly assaulting the array, with the intention of seizing Cangming Mountain's camp.

Upon receiving the news, many Haotian Alliance cultivators also started converging toward Cangming Mountain's camp. They needed to protect Cangming Mountain at all costs. If the camp was breached, it would signify a total loss for their faction in this grand game of strategy.

In just one day, the area near Cangming Mountain had become a bloodbath, with countless cultivators meeting their demise.

Even more desperate news reached the Haotian Alliance side: many cultivators from the Sacred Fire Order were en route, amassing a large number of Ten Thousand Demons Ridge cultivators, setting up defenses layer upon layer between Lu Ye and Cangming Mountain's camp!

Although the Sacred Fire Order was only a 4th grade sect, it used to be a 1st grade sect decades ago. Its fall in rank was all thanks to the Righteous Blood Sect. During that era, not only the Sacred Fire Order suffered continuous drops in grade due to the Righteous Blood Sect's aggression.

The Hundred Refinement Valley, which found its gates blocked by Feng Yuechan, was another, along with several other sects.

Their enmity with the Righteous Blood Sect was far greater than that of other sects.

In the era of the Righteous Blood Sect's splendor and strength, they shivered in the shadows, daring not to show themselves; but after decades, the Righteous Blood Sect had completely declined. As long as they killed that Lu Ye, in the next sect grade evaluation, the Righteous Blood Sect would be struck off the register.

It could be said that those sects which had once suffered greatly at the hands of the Righteous Blood Sect had been waiting for this day to come.

How could they let Lu Ye easily enter the territory of Cangming Mountain?

This was also the reason why the sect master was reluctant to hastily form an alliance with Cangming Mountain, for he knew that by doing so, it would inevitably push Cangming Mountain into the storm; even now, as Cangming Mountain was a 7th grade sect, it might not emerge unscathed from the tide of conflict between the two camps.

In the Nine Provinces, at the main hall of Cangming Mountain, in front of the Heaven's Augury Pillar, Shui Yuan raised her hand to touch the pillar.

Sect Master Meng Dancheng spoke with solemnity, "Sister, be extremely careful."

Shui Yuan smiled, "The Righteous Blood Sect's matter shouldn't be shouldered by you alone."

The sect master, standing aside, also spoke with a serious tone, "If it comes to the point where it cannot be done, do not force yourself!"

"Yes!" After Shui Yuan respectfully responded, she activated the battlefield marking.

The next moment, her figure blurred and quickly vanished from sight.

On the Spirit Stream battlefield, within the Cangming Mountain's territory, the protective array continuously rippled outwards. Many Cangming Mountain cultivators hurriedly reported the emergency, struggling to maintain the array, but the attacking Ten Thousand Demons Ridge cultivators were too numerous this time, including strong individuals from the Core Circle.

Even though the Governor personally operating the array had pushed its defensive power to the extreme, the strength of the protection was rapidly weakening.

"How much longer can we hold on?" the Governor asked in a grave tone.

Looking at the current situation, it won't take four hours before the array is broken," the Deputy Governor replied.

"Four hours!" the Governor exclaimed, "This could be troublesome. Pass down the order for everyone to prepare for a fight to the death!"

The Deputy Governor's expression changed, "Brother!" In such a situation, shouldn't they abandon the territory before the array is broken and return to the Nine Provinces? Staying here for a fight to the death, who knows how many fellow disciples will die in this place, and if things go wrong, Cangming Mountain could be decimated.

Nonchalantly, the Governor said, "This is an order directly from the sect master! Regardless of whatever grievances our elders have with the Righteous Blood Sect, since it's the sect master's command, we must follow it! You personally take charge of the Heaven's Augury Pillar, and anyone who dares to flee in cowardice shall be executed without mercy!"

Grinding his teeth, the Deputy Governor replied, "Yes!"

Before the Deputy Governor could turn and head to the Heaven's Augury Pillar, unusual activity transmitted from the protective array.

The Governor furrowed his brow, "Who opened the array?"

The commotion just now was clearly because the array had been briefly opened.

Together, the two of them dashed out of the hall, looking up to witness a scene that left them standing agape.

They saw a black streak of fleeing light weaving back and forth outside the array. Accompanying the streak of light, one after another, the Ten Thousand Demons Ridge cultivators screamed as they fell from the sky. The black fleeing light was like a scythe of death, spreading the breath of demise wherever it swept across.

Even those strong individuals from the Core Circle, who had cultivated Heaven Rank techniques, could not withstand this deadly assault.

"Who is this?" the Governor was stunned, for there was no one this fierce in their own sect...

The Deputy Governor was also shocked, suspecting whether it might be the Spirit Stream Ranking's top contender, Feng Yuechan, who had come to kill. However, Feng Yuechan was a magic cultivator and didn't match the person before them.

In just a short moment, more than a dozen cultivators from the Ten Thousand Demons Ridge side had been slain, all of whom were strong figures that had rushed here from the Core Circle.

For a time, the pressure on the Cangming Mountain's protective array significantly decreased.

A pale purple thunderbolt force began to emerge near the black fleeing light. Instantly, the Governor understood, "Which senior is forcefully breaking in?"

Only cultivators of the Spirit Stream Realm could safely enter the Spirit Stream battlefield. Those beyond the Spirit Stream Realm could force their way in at a great cost, but their strength would be suppressed to the level of the Spirit Stream Realm, allowing them to only use techniques of that realm.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Moreover, once such a person killed in the Spirit Stream battlefield, the omnipresent Heaven's Augury would administer some form of punishment.

The pale purple thunderbolt force was a symbol of that punishment! The more people killed, the more intense the thunderbolt force would become. If this accumulated, there would come a moment when the intruder would no longer be able to withstand it and would perish under the onslaught of the purple lightning.